moody



(No Model.)

J. M. 8v S. B. MOODY.

CRANBERRY PICKER.

Patented June 18, 1895.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES M. MOODY AND SIDNEY B. MOODY, OE HARWIOH, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO AUGUSTUS M.

NICKERSON, OE SAME PLACE.

CRANBERRY-PIGKER.y

SEECIFICATION forming part f Letters Patent N0. 541,109, dated June 18, 1895.

Application led April 25, 18M- Serial No. 508,982. (No model.)

To a/ZZ wwm it may concern,.-

Be it known that we, JAMES M. MOODY and STDNEY B. MOODY, citizens of the United States, residing at Harwich, in the county of Barnstable and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Cranberry-Picker, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cranberry pickers; and it has for its object to elect certain 1o improvements in devices of this character whereby cranberries may be more readilyl picked from the vines than heretofore, and with the least possible degree of injury to both the berries and the vines.

To this end the main and primary object of the present invention is to provide in a cranberry picker simple and desirable means for stripping the berries from the vines and al'-V lowing the vines to escape from the picker zo after being stripped of the berries, and also to provide a construction whereby the manipulation of the picker is rendered easier and more effective. Y

With these and other 0b.] ects in View, which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a cranberry-picker constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view thereof, the picker being open to 3 5 receive the berries and vine-tendrils- Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the picker, showing the gathering-fork closed or in position as elevated.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, l designates a picker box consisting essentially ot the opposite side pieces 2, connected at their front and rear ends by the end cross bars 3, and said side pieces are gradually increased in width from their rear to their front ends in order to provide for elevating the front end of the box properly above the vines from which the berries are being picked, and the front ends of the said sidepieces 2, are forwardly and upwardly inclined as at 4, to pro- 5o vide for properly disposing the outer ends of the fork tines to be presently referred to. The inclined front ends 4, of the box side pieces 2, are connected below the front end cross bar 3, by the metallic stripper plate 5, that forms a part of the front end of the box to inclose that portion, and said metallic stripper plate is of a width to extend from the upper end of the inclined front portions 4, to an intermediate point of said inclined portions where the metal forming said plate 6o 5, is bent upon itself to form at its lower edge a continuous thickened stripper bar portion 6, that extends from side to side of the box, and is provided in its broad or wide edge with continuous regular scallops 7, consisting of a 6 5 regular waved surface or a series of alternate rounded idges and depressions, the function of which, in Aconnection with the gathering fork, will be more particularly described, and below the lower stripper bar edge of the plate 7o 5, the inclined front portions 4, that round into the lower edge of the said pieces 2, are faced with the metallic wear strips 8, that take the contact of the ground 'at the front end of the box and act somewhat in the capacity of runners therefor.

The picker box 1, is entirely open at the top and bottom, and extending completely over the open top of the box is the loose or abby top cord netting 9, thatis secured at its 8o edges to the top edges of the box by the metal fastening strips 10, tacked or otherwise suit'- ably secured to the side and end top edges Y of the box, and said netting not only serves to inclose the top and prevent `the berrics from escaping, but is an advantage over other similar devices employing netting in that the operator can observe the entire working of the picker.

The rear end cross bar of the picker box, gov i like the front end cross bar is not of the same width as the side pieces 2, and between the rear ends of said side pieces directly below the rear end cross bar is arranged the turning fork bar ll. The turning fork barll, receives at its opposite ends, the pivot screws 12 that are passed through the lower ends of the metal side straps 13, secured at opposite rear ends of the side pieces 2, and the lower edge of the turning fork bar is preferably roo rounded as at 14 to provide for an easyfcontact on the ground and vines. The turning fork bar 1l, carries? an upwardly movable gathering fork 15, that consists of'a forwardly projected series of parallel fork tines or bars 16 of equal length, that together form the inclosing bottom for the picker box, and are adapted to be elevated to bring their outer extremities in very close proximity to the stripper bar 6, in order to strip the berries off of the vines when the picker is operated, and iixedly connected at its lower end to the outer side of the turning fork bar l1, as at- 17, is the lower end of the handle armv 18, the up per end of which is tted into the rear end of the forwardly extending handle 19. At its front end the handle 19, is provided with an enlarged depending rest flange 20, that forms a bearing for the foreinger of the handtwhen pushing the pickerinto the berries, and thereby prevents the hand from slipping-on: the handle. At -its front end, the handle 19, is further provided with theangled StopB arm 22, that is adapted to work beneath and to engage Y against the transverse stop bar 23, that is secured transversely across vthe top of the picker box, and supports atan intermediate point the upwardly projecting finger block 24, on which Vis placed the thumb of the hand, in order that the handle 19, may bey elevated 'to elevate the gathering fork to bring the berries into the box.

The handle arm 18, thatextends upwardly from the turning fork bar 11, is arranged in rear of the transverse leaf spring 25, at an intermediatev point thereof. The transverse leaf spring 25, is loosely secured at-its opposite. ends as at 26, to the rear end cross bar 3, so that the spring will readily bow outwardly as the handle 19, iselevated, and by reason of its ltension.will-normally hold the handle arm to a position that will depress the outer end of the gathering fork below the stripper bars 6, and substantially in aline with the bottom edges of thepicker box.

In operation, with the gathering fork normally depressed as noted, thepicker box is pushed into the vines to allow the berries and vine tendrils to pass into the box between the outer ends of the fork tinesandA the stripper bar immediately thereabove. With the hand grasping the handle and the thumb on the block 24, thehandle is elevated to bring the outer ends of the fork tinesup toa position directly opposite and in close proximity to the stripper bar 6, after which the picker box is pulled off4 from the vinesl which movement will strip the berries therefrom, while the vines pass between the fork tines, and between the stripper bar. and the end of the tines without substantial injury. In this connection it is to be noted that the widened stripper bar 6, presents a perfectly smooth edge to the vines, andthe depressions ofthe scallops arev disposed directly opposite the points of the tines so that vthe vines will escape more easily when the picker -is closed by .the vines at the ends of the tines.

elevating theffork, and the rounded ridges or projections of the scallops are adapted to extend across and substantially close the spaces between the ends of the fork tines in order to prevent the berries from escaping through the spaces between-the peints of the tines, and by this arrangement it will be obvious that the construction of stripper bar adds strength to the device and gives a broaderi surface for wear while at the same time securing the desirable object of bringing the points of the fork tin es as near the stripper bar as possible, while not interfering with the free escape 0f Furthermore, the broad edge of the stripper bar in front of-the points of the fork tines provides means whereby the tines can spring up or down in operating thevpicker without increasing the space between them and the stripper bar, and this result makes it easier to adjust the tines to the stripper andprevents losing berries out of the picker box when the teeth spring downward in withdrawing the picker from the vines.

- Changes. in 4the -form, proportion,` and the minor details of construction maybe resorted -to without departing from the principle or vention.

i Having thus described the invention', what is claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patengisl; In acranberry picker, an open boina` sacrificing. any of the advantages of this in- -stripper plate arranged at-the front end-of the box and provided at its lower edge with an integral smooth thickened stripper bar kvportion, said stripper bar portion having a regular-ly wavedA or scalloped edge consisting of a f continuous series of alternate rounded ridges and depressions, and a normally depressed upwardly movable lgathering fork having tines of equal length adapted to be elevated to-a posit-ion withtheirends in close proximity tothe waved or scalloped edge of the stripper bar portion', said` stripper bar portion being sufficiently broad orwide topermit of a limited spring of the tines without decreasing the distance between the tine ends and said stripper bar portion, and said rounded ridges being adapted to extend across and substantially close the spaces between the ends of the fork tines when elevated to prevent the escape of berries through the spaces between and immediately beyond the ends of the tines,while at the same time allowing'for the free escape of the vines at the ends of the tilt-les, substantially as set forth.

2. In a cranberry picker, the combination of the open picker box, a stripper -bar arranged at the front end of the box, a pivoted fork mounted within the bottom of thebox, an operating handle connected at one end to the fork bar of said pivoted fork and provided at its front end with an enlarged deoutside of said handle arm and loosely sec'ured at its ends to the rear end of the picker bar, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES M. MOODY. SIDNEYB. MOODY.

finger block mounted at an intermediate point on said stop bar, and a spring for normally depressing the fork, substantially as set forth.

3. In a cranberry picker, the open picker box having a stripper bar at its front end, a fork bar pivotally mounted at the rear end of said box and carrying a series ot forwardly extending tines forming the inolosing bottom I for the box, a handle arm secured fast at its lower end to said fork bar, a forwardly exl Vitnesses:

tending handle secured to the upper end of MIRON 7. ROGERS, said handle arm, and a leaf spring arranged l ALPHoNso L. WEEKES. 

